Method and means of dry storage



' Nov. 15, 1927.

S. L. RICHMOND METHOD AND MEANS OF DRY STORAGE Filed April 22. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l I lllll ll llllll llllll-ll gmzntoz Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,732

s. RICHMOND METHOD AND MEANS OF DRY STORAGE Filed Anril 22. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL L. RICHMOND, 0F BALBOA, CANAL ZONE, PANAMA.

A METHOD MEANS OF DRY STORAGE.

Application filed April 22, 1927, Serial No. 185,780, and in Bahama April 1, 1927.

My invention relates to a storage closet and particularly to the type employed for storing dry materials such as leather goods, clothing, chemicals, medicines, photographic materials, steel instruments, etc., at atmospheric temperatures in a hot humid climate, and the object of my invention is to provide such a storage closet for dry materials which is of exceptionally low relative humidity.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method for reducing the humidity in existing closets and warehouse rooms for protection against mould, insects and rapid decay.

Another object of my invention is the extraction of moisture from the air in a closet or store room for storing dry materialswithout materially lowering the temperature of the closet or room.

I accomplish the above and other objects of the invention which will be apparent as the description proceeds by means of the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawin s, in which 1g. 1 is a vertical section of one form of my improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2, 2 in Figure 1 partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a section of the lower portion of the refrigerant container.

Fig. 4 1s a section through the closure for the storage compartment partly broken away. a

Fig. 5 is a front view of a dehumidifying apparatus to be used in a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a section through one of the units shown in Fi re 5.

Fl s. 7 an 8 are vertical sections of modified onus of my invention.

On the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts on all figures thereof, 1 indicates a small unit dry closet, approximately air tight, made of wood, metal or any other suitable material; 2 ind1- cates a partition therein dividing the closet into two compartments, 9. storage compare ment 3 and a dehumidifyin com artment 4. The partition 2 is spaced rom t e top and bottom of the closet in order to provide for circulation of the air through the contents of the storage compartment and around the condensing unit in the dehumidifying compartment.

5 indicates a condensation unit here shown as a removable i e tank adapted to be inserted into the dehumidifying compartment. This tank is preferably formed with a rim 6 at the bottom thereof to catch moisture condensed on the peripher of the tank. A flared roll top 7 is also iibrmed on the tank which bears against the top of the closet, the opening for the tank being sealed by any suitable means such as a gasket 8. The flared top 7 prevents any of the ice from spilling into the closet when inserting or removing the tank.

' In the bottom of the dehumidifying or the storage compartment may be placed a recep tacle 9 containing calcium chloride or other suitable moisture absorbing material. After the moisture in the air has condensed on the surface of the tank, the tank should be removed; the moisture absorbing material in the receptacle 9 will then take up the moisture from the air which gradually leaks into the closet. When this material has absorbed moisturenearly to its maximum capacity the tank may be again inserted in the closet to remove the moisture from the absorbing material as well as from the air in the closet. The dehumidifying compartment is provided with a glass window 10 whereby the condition of the exterior of the tank and the .moisture absorbing material may be observed. This continuous cycle of operations keeps the air in the closet in the proper dehumidified state without materially lowering the temperature thereof due to the fact that the condensation unit is of relatively small size compared to the cubic contents of the closet. It is therefore unnecessary that the closet be insulated.

The storage compartment is provided with a door opening 11 throu h which the material to be stored may be inserted. The door 12 is provided with a soft rubber seal and the rim of the opening with an upwardly extending flange element. As an alternative arrangement the soft rubber seal 13 may be provided around the opening on which the door rests.

In some instances it may be desirable to provide means for dehumidifying the air in existing closets and this I accomplish by means of the modifications shown in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, wherein the condensation unit container is in the form of a receptacle 14 which may be attached to the exterior or the interior of the closet in any convenient place.

When the receptacle is attached to the exte rior of the closet communicating apertures 15 are cut in the walls of the closet and the receptacle so that the air will circulate through the articles in the closet and around the condensation unit in the receptacle, the wall 16 of the closet acting as a partition directing the circulation. The bottom of the receptacle is provided with an emergency drain outlet 33 which functions if the condensate melts and begins to drip, a suitable receptacle such as a bucket being provided for'the .condensate. When the condensation unit container is located in the interior of the closet, the openings in the container permit of the proper circulation of the air in the compartment and through the container. In the form shown in Figure 5, there are two condensation unit containers 18, 19, located 0n the interior of the closet, the units being shown as comprising refrigerating pipe coils and 21. The containers are each provided with upper and lower doors 22 and 23 which, when opened, permit the circulation of the air through the storage compartment of the condensation unit containers. If direct expansion units are used, expansion valves 24 are provided. A two-way cock 25 ermits cutting out one unit'at a time. The ower edge of the containers slope slightly toward each other and are formed with gutters 26 for catching the melted condensate and directin it toward the dri cups 27, from which 1t flows to the outsi e through the drain 28. v

When refri rating coils are used, it is Q sometimes pre erable to provide for a continuous draining of the condensate which shownat33in may be accomplished by cooling the coils to a temperature of not less than 33, that is, above freezing point. When such. a provision is made in the apparatus, the necessity for the two way cock 1n the connection between the refrlgeratin units is obviated. In such instances, a sin e refrigerating unit may prove sufiicient. en employing the form of my invention embodying this feature of continuous drainage, an opening should be provided in the bottom of the container, whereby the melted condensate may drain of, the arran ement being similar to that igure 8.

In Figure 7, the containers are shown attached to the exterior of the closet and are provided with doors 29', 30, o erated through the medium of spring presse levers 31, 32, respectively, thus providing for the closing off of one unit at a time from communication with the storage closet. This form of my invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with large storage places and its function and o eration need referred to only briefly. ne of the refrigerating units is operated until the coil is covered with fi'0st, if the apparatus is cooled to the freezing oint or below. This unit is then switched o the doors 29' and 30 closed and the moisture which has accumulated on the coil is allowed to run off through the drain. The other unit is meanwhile placed in operation.

In these separate condensation unit containers, the circulation of the air is materially aided by sloping-the bottom of the containers at an angle of about 45.

In Figure 8, a small dehumidifying container is attached to the exterior of the closet in which a condensation forming tank is adapted to be inserted. The container is shown as provided with a drain 33. This simple form of my invention may be attached to the door or wall of an ordinary closet such as is found in dwellin houses.

It is to be noted that in every cm of my invention, the condensation forming apparatus is of small dimensions as compared with that of the receptacle or closet whose air content is to be dehumidified; therefore, there is no perceptible change of temperature in the air in the receptacle or closet. It is thus possible to make use of uninsulated receptacles for storing articles, such as would be necessary for cold storage of furs, etc. Moreover, since the air pressure in the closet or receptacle is substantially the same as that of the surrounding atmosphere, there is no tendency to set up 'air currents between the interior and the exterior of the closet such as would lead to undue leakage of the outside air into the closet.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method for dry stor e at atmospheric temperature comprising oosely packing the material to be stored in a receptacle, inserting a moisture absorbin compound in said receptacle, placing a c 'ng device in communication with the interior of the receptacle to precipitate .the moisture in the air in the receptacle'on the chilling device, cutting off the communication between the chilling device and the interior of the receptacle before the temperature thereof is appreciably lowered, removing the collected moisture from the chilling device and reestablishing communication between the chilling device and the interior of the receptacle when the moisture absorbing compound becomes saturated.

2. A method for dry storage at atmospheric temperature comprising loosely packing the material to be stored in a receptacle, placin' a chilling device in commumcation with t e interior of the receptacle to precipitate the moisture in the air of the receptacle on the chilling device and. cutting of communication between the chilling device and the interior of the receptacle before the temperature thereof is appreciably lowered.

3. In a device for storing material at atbetween the compartments and means wheremospheric temperature, a storage compartby communication between the storage comment of relatively large content, a dehumidipartment and the chilling device may be cut 10 tying compartment of relatively small con-- off before the temperature in the former is 5 tent, a chilling device in said compartment, appreciably lowered. a partition between said compartments hav- In testimon whereof. I aifix m si ature. ing passages permitting a'circulation of air AMUEL L. RIC 

